Donna Dunn
“There is no time like Spring,
When life’s alive in everything…”
— Christina Rossetti
As nature bursts into bloom, it feels as if all things are new again. There’s something fragrant and hopeful that fills the air like no other season. With that inspiration, we have tried to infuse this issue of HOME with optimism and joy!
When I was a little girl, we had indoor-outdoor orange and brown carpet in our wood-paneled den and a mesmerizing lava lamp that sat atop our wood-grain console TV. Yet, when we talk about 1970s-inspired design today, it’s as if we lifted the very best of that decade and infused it into a 2024 aesthetic. Laurel Feinman explains how you can be groovy — and stylish — in her design article in this issue. What’s more joyful than disco?
Carter Heald Bendall’s article on the Cartons’ showcase home in Amherst epitomizes how a family’s life story can inform lovely and personal design choices. You’ll soon understand why they needed a shipshape plan for retirement, and why Amherst was the perfect spot for it.
We loved learning more about the conservation efforts taking place across Central Virginia. There are pollinator gardens popping up all over! It’s important to understand why we need native plants, especially for the bees. Ginny Smith takes a sweet look at why local honey is the best. Did you know it can even help with some health issues? You’ll think of the birds and the bees a little differently after discovering the wonder of honey and pollinator gardens.
When I first heard of the Enneagram, I was having coffee with my friend Joanna about seven years ago. She talked about this personality model that provided interesting insights in nine categories, but which is quite dynamic with wings and subtypes. Since then, I’ve taken a deep dive into books and podcasts and found it to be a useful resource for better understanding myself and others. In this issue, we see how our Enneagram type might inform our design style. When I first read Kendall Atkins Livick’s description of a 2’s home, I had the feeling that she had peeked into my home!
We also share the simple things that make us all happy: a perfect grilled cheese, board games (and much more!) in the basement and Historic Garden Week in Virginia coming up — always a treat in Lynchburg.
From what’s trending in design to tips on setting up a charging station for your electric vehicle to cycling in Central Virginia, we hope you’ll find something that makes you want to take flight this season. Joyful reading to all!
“The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure: —
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.”
— William Wordsworth
Donna Dunn | donna@jamesrivermedia.com
